Typically, sheet piling sections are used as ground barriers for preventing the passage of water or the shifting of the ground during excavation. In such traditional uses, there is very little chance that the sheet piling sections will be subjected to the high temperatures resulting from a fire and, therefore, the sheet piling sections have not been required to be fire resistant or comply with any fire performance standards. However, as new uses have been found for sheet piling sections in the construction of buildings and parking garages, it has become necessary for sheet piling sections to comply with the standards adopted for traditional building materials.
One of the most widely accepted standards for fire performance testing is ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) E-119, titled “Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials.” ASTM E-119 has been used to test a wide variety of building materials, in particular the performance of walls, columns, floors and other building members under fire exposure conditions, to ensure the construction of safe structures. Many government agencies and municipal authorities have recognized the value of ASTM E-119 and have incorporated it into their building codes and regulations. ASTM E-119 is used to measure and specify the fire-resistive properties of materials and assemblies in accordance with a common standard that is expressed in terms that can be applied to various materials, situations and conditions of fire exposure.
Because sheet piling sections have only recently been used in applications where it is necessary to comply with municipal and other building codes, there has not been developed an assembly and test method for testing the fire resistance of sheet piling sections. More specifically, there has not been developed an assembly and test method for conducting fire resistance testing that complies with ASTM E-119. Accordingly, there is a need for an assembly and test method that can be used for testing the fire resistance of sheet piling sections as required under ASTM E-119 and other building codes and regulations.